Crossed Lines
by NotTheRealMe
Summary: Well, this is a one shot I wrote not to long ago about Charon and his harsh employer he's been with for a few years now. It was an idea I'd had in my mind for a while now and finally wrote it out. Anyway, I hope you like it. Reviews and messages are welcome! Let me know how I did! :) Thanks. CharonxOC ALSO: This is basically a rough draft, and I will be editing it in the future.


I stand, shielding my eyes with my hand from the beaming afternoon sun. I sigh, waiting as usual. At the moment, I am keeping a redundant watch while my employer rummages through some old ruined houses which I don't really see the point in.

I shift my stiff legs as I wait for her to find whatever it is she is looking for.

"Hey. Zombie. Get over here," she barks.

As soon as we met, I realized that she speaks to everyone the same way. She doesn't talk. She orders. Everyone. I am used to orders. I'm a trained mercenary. It's all I know. But it doesn't matter who it is. She orders, and if they don't listen, they have a rude awakening.

I silently walk over to her side in the pathetic remains of one of the houses. My towering height causes shadow to envelop her. She looks up at me, a scowl firmly placed on her face, as always.

"Give me a bobby pin."

I nod, reaching in my pocket and giving her the pin. She snatches it from my hand and begins to pick the lock of a half-buried safe. The click of it opening causes a wicked smile to appear on her face. The same smile she gets when she just makes a kill. She is a blood-thirsty woman, quite peculiar.

She stands and turns to look at me, a sharp look in her eyes. She's always had that look. I saw it the day we met.

She had waltzed into the Ninth Circle as if she owned the place. Her outfit had to be a type of raider armor. I'm still not sure what it's called, but I did overhear her call it "Paingiver" armor once. She tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder and took a quick, bored look around, That's when she spotted me. She walked up and tried to begin conversation, but I told her to talk to Ahzrukhal. Her whole stance changed, and anyone could tell she was pissed. I tensed, ready to kill her if ordered. Instead, she turned and made a beeline to Ahzrukhal. Her voice was just as harsh then as now, and Ahzrukhal gave me a look which meant for me to "escort" her out. Just as I began to pull my combat shotgun from my back, however, he quickly held up his finger for me to wait.

As I paused, I saw her slam something down on the bar. Ahzrukhal smiled his normal sleazy smile, and I relaxed back into my corner. The small woman turned back around and came right back up to me and by then I was getting annoyed. She scowled up at me for a few moments.

"I bought your stupid contract. You're mine now. Let's go. Now," She seethed.

I stared at her for a few moments, surprised. I told her it was good to know, and that I had something to take care of. I walked past her which seemed to piss her off even more. I walked up to Ahzrukhal as he began to say something to me. I didn't pay any mind to his words. Without a thought, I pulled my gun and shot him dead right then and there.  
I smirked and turned back to my new employer. She looked up at me with that wicked smile.

"I knew you were a good idea. First things first. Don't help me unless I need it," she muttered.

At first, I didn't understand why she'd give me such an order, but I quickly realized as we began to travel together that it was simply because she loved to kill. She was incredibly blood-thirsty. She still is. I don't know why, and don't think I want to.

I snap out of my thoughts as she begins to hand me some ammo and guns that she discovered in the safe. I obediently place the items she hands me into the pack I carry for her. As she stands herself upright, she pulls her scoped magnum off her hip and looks over at me. I remain silent as always. As I look down at her, she smirks.

"Let's go kill something," she says with a deadly tone. I nod and follow her as she leads me onward.

She doesn't seem to be going anywhere in particular really. I sometimes find myself surprised by how well she knows the land.

Soon, we stumble upon a band of raiders, and she runs wild, needing to kill. I pull my shotgun, even though I won't have to use it. I just stand watch as she takes one shot at each, killing two and dropping one in a basic flesh wound. She holsters her magnum and walks over to me with her hand open.

"Give me your knife," she spits, ready to finish her prey. I hand her my combat knife I've had since I was released as a mercenary, and watch her eyes light up with it in her hand.

She slowly goes over to the wounded raider and pulls him from the ground by his hair and throws him back down. She gets on the ground beside him whispers a few words in his ear I never want to hear and plunges the knife deep into his chest, surely piercing his heart. I do not get scared, for I do not feel emotion due to my extensive training and conditioning, but there is something about her ruthlessness that chills my blood like ice. She looks at her kill for a few moments and then comes back over to me. I do not look at her or move. I stand silent as I always do and wait for her orders.

"Let's get back to the tower," she whispers.

She's always quiet after a kill. She's a complex being I'd have to say, but I never really take the time to think about it. My purpose is to protect and serve where I am needed, nothing more. If she were to order me to kill instead of watch, I'd be just as cold and leave the bodies just as lifeless. My contract honor-bounds me to do so. I do somewhat have my own morals I guess. That is why I killed Ahzrukhal, but it is simply because the things that disgusting rat did could never be forgiven. And somehow, I find her actions to be.

I am brought back from my mind again by her sighing loudly. She looks up at me with blank eyes which is something that hardly happens. I nod and await her to lead me. As the sun sets, she turns and leads me toward Tenpenny Tower which is where she lives. It doesn't take long for her normal fierceness to come back to her. It's no time before we're at the tower as well. As we near the entrance, she turns and looks at me with a normal scowl.

"Take everything we found and sell it. I'll be in my room. Come up when you're done." She spits.

As we walk in the doors, we're greeted by Roy Phillips and some other ghouls who are now living there. A few say 'hello', but she doesn't respond. She hardly ever does. She disappears up to her room, and I find someone to sell this junk to. I make off with a good amount of caps which will probably please her. She seems to be saving up for something, at least that's what I've gathered. After I gather the caps owed to me, I make my own way to the elevator at the back of the lobby. Once inside I punch in the number of the top floor and wait to get to my destination.

I take this moment of isolation to let my mind rest from constant alert. I think back to the first major battle she lead me into. She had brought me to Evergreen Mills and the place was rampant with junkie raiders. As soon as she saw how many raiders there were, there was no going back. She had this need and fire in her eyes just like a predator has for their prey. She allowed me to help her fight this battle since there were so many, and she knew she'd have enough to kill for herself.

We went through that place quickly, both of us enjoying the freedom and destruction. As the last body fell to her attack, we stood silent with smirks on both of our faces. We were standing in the middle of the settlement, panting, blood all over us from our adversaries. She turned from the kill she made and looked over at me. I was maybe 10 feet away, but I could still see the contentment in her eyes…and a trace of something else. Without warning, she started toward me, her walk having purpose behind it. I watched, and waited for her to stop and yell at me for taking too many of the kills, but she didn't stop. Instead she continued toward me, grabbed the back of my neck with her small hand, pulled my face down to hers, and crashed her lips into mine…or at least what's left of mine. I didn't react. I didn't kiss back. I didn't move. I waited. This kiss only lasted for a few seconds, and as soon as it was over, she took a step back and said 'Thanks, that's all I needed. Now loot these stupid junkies."

I hadn't thought about that moment before now. It happened months ago maybe almost a year now, and I never thought anything of it. Never wanted to. I'm glad she didn't make anything of it. I've trained too long to break my emotional chains now.

The elevator jolts to a stop which in turn, jolts me out of my thoughts once again. I shake my head and exit the lift. I take a right and enter her suite. As I enter, I don't see her anywhere, but then I hear her turn on the water in the bathroom. I don't know if the room originally came with a bathroom…either way, she must have convinced someone to add one in. Anyway, I look around the prewar suite and sit the caps down on her nightstand and make my way over to the couch by the door. That's where I sleep which is better than the floor in my opinion.

"Hey, you in here?" I here her yell just as I take my boots off.

"Yes mistress," I reply, wondering what her orders will be.

"Good. Get me a towel. Just throw it in here. And make my bed for me."

"Yes mistress."

Despite me being slightly annoyed at doing a maid's job, I quickly search for and discover some towels by the bathroom door. I pick a few up and toss them in into the bathroom, keeping my eyes down. After I shut the door, I walk over to her queen-sized bed and begin to tidy it up the way she usually keeps it. As I make my way to the foot of the bed, I hear the bathroom door open. I stop where I am and look up from the bed to see her standing outside the bathroom door with her usual undergarments, a small, grey tank top that reveals her toned abdomen and some short, dark shorts. I stand where I am, awaiting her next orders. As I do this, she also stands, staring at me with a rather interesting gleam in her eyes.

"I have an idea," she whispers which is quite unlike her, but then her expression changes right back to its usual determination, power, and passion. I stand silent for a moment until I realize she wants me to respond.

"And what is it?" I ask, confused.

She slowly walks over to me and places her hands on my chest. I do not react. I do not move. I await for orders, as always. I feel her push on my chest, but I am to strong to move. Her expression becomes a bit annoyed, and she begins pushing my chest again.

"Sit. Now," she seethes with a smirk on her face as she continues to push my chest.

I sit down on the foot of the bed. I wait. Her hands still on my chest as she looks down at me. She moves forward and kisses me furiously. I don't react. I don't move. Like always, I wait. She pulls away with that wicked smile on her face, clearly enjoying her dominance.

"Lay down," she demands, giving my chest another push. I comply as I have been trained. I lay back, the bottom half of my legs still hanging off the end of the bed. I watch her as she slowly climbs on top of me. She straddles my hips and looks down at me. Her eyes trace me until she lock onto my own eyes and grins.

"What do you think of my idea? Hmm?" she asks with a sultry tone. I stare at her.

"I don't think it's the best idea to be acting on," I reply with no other reaction.

"I disagree," she whispers as she grinds her hips and warmth against me, and as soon as she does, my body begins to betray me.

"And I think your body does too," she teases, her voice still seductive as she grinds against me again. This time a slight moan escapes my lips. I curse inwardly at myself as her eyes light up.

She grabs my hands and places them on either side of her waist and as soon as she does she grinds against me again, and my hands tighten on her. A hunger deep inside of me begins to rise, and I feel my control, all I had suffered and trained for beginning to break down. I close my eyes as she does it again and again and arcs her back as my grip on her tightens with each movement. She stops, and I feel her hands on the top half of my armor, fumbling with all the buckles. I open my eyes and see she's almost finished with the buckles.

"Take it off," she growls, tugging on my shirt and armor.

I sit up and our chests meet. She takes a quick breath as I pulls my armor and black undershirt over my head and thrown it behind her. I stare at her as she looks at my destroyed body and decayed flesh. I watch her closely, waiting for her reaction. I wait to see if she will stop this. To see if she will be scared of the monster I am. But it doesn't. Instead, I feel her hands on my abdomen and chest, tracing every exposed muscle, every contour. I look down at her hands as they do this, and the deep hunger I have grows. I don't know where it came from, but soon, if this doesn't stop, I'm not going to be able to withhold it.

I take in a deep breath, looking back at her, and as soon as I lock eyes with her, she presses her lips onto mine, wrapping her arms around me on top of my shoulders. She runs her fingers through what's left of my hair, and my hands wrap around her waist and back again, hesitating to feel every inch of her warm, smooth skin.

Her hips grind against me again, teasing me, and she nibbles my bottom lip. Another moan escapes me, and I feel her smile. My control wanes as she pushes me back down onto the bed, her slender body on top of mine. She continues to kiss me with the passion she always has in her eyes. She takes her delicate yet deadly hands and feels every part of me there is to feel until she stumbles upon my belt. Her hand stays there for a moment, and then I feel her tug on it as well.

Her lips part from mine as she sits back up, so she can work on my belt. Once she gets the buckle undone, she slowly unbuttons and unzips my pants. She then looks up at me with her wicked smile, and at this, the hunger inside me stirs angrily.

"Take them off" she says with her still sultry voice in between her heavy breaths.

In a swift motion, I stand us both up, but hold her tight with my hands on small of her back. I lock eyes with her as I feel her hands working on my pants. I feel them hit the floor, and I kick them to the side. As her and I stand there in nothing but her undergarments and my boxers, she presses her entire body against mine, and my grip on her tightens with want. I've never felt this hunger, this want…it doesn't stop. It just get stronger and stronger with each touch, with each push, with each grind.

I feel her shift, and she takes a small step back. I assume she has changed her mind. I look down at her, my face expressionless, like usual, and I drop my hands to my sides. But instead of her continuing to back away, she smirks at me and pulls her tank top off over her head. My mind takes a moment to register how beautiful she is. Her curves, her nearly naked body, her smooth skin, her blue eyes that almost match my own. She walks back into me, pressing her naked chest against my own ruined one and grabs hold of my hands, moving them back to where they had been. I moan as she begins to kiss and bite my chest, my collar bone, my neck, and I grip her as my control reaches it's breaking point.

"Do you want me?" she asks in between kisses and bites.

I reply with a small moan, unsure what to tell her. Because I do. I want her. I hunger for her. I need her. My body begins to tremble with want.

"No, do you want me?" she demands, looking up at me. Her eyes look into me…deep inside, and I see in her eyes that she has the same hunger. I can't control it anymore.

"Yes," I answer, breathing heavy. She smiles her smile and tangles her fingers in my hair as her body presses harder into my own.

"Then have me."

And I do. I have her right there, right then. I have her, and she screams my name, but I can't stop this hunger anymore. I let it all happen. I cut all restraints. It's such a deep calling, my body and mind pay no mind to anything else. Just her. And I have her until she yells out with pleasure.

When we are both finally satisfied, I pull her against my chest and let our bodies rest. She sighs as she nestles her face against me. I take a deep breath in, feeling a peace I have never felt before. I feel her look up at me , and I return her gaze as I run my fingers through her long, silky hair.

"May I ask you a question?" I ask, unsure if I am crossing a line. We do not usually have conversation unless she orders me to do so.

"Of course," she whispers with a grin on her lips.

"What's your name?" I ask, wishing I had known what it was so long ago. Her grin grows in to a caring smile, one I have never seen. My hear quickens a bit from the sight.

"Lethe," she replies. I take a moment to register the name of this beautiful creature I have in my arms. Her name rings in my mind, and then it hits me. I recognize her name. It is an old name. I smile down at her.

"What?" she asks, curious.

"Lethe is an old name. Like mine. Prewar. But…they are related in a way," I say with a thoughtful tone, her name feeling right as it leaves my lips.

"How?" she asks with excitement in her voice. I've never seen her so calm…

"Lethe is the name of one of the rivers that flows through the Underworld…and I am the ferryman," I say, remembering learning such things during my training. "And I also remember that according to Greek mythology, one was to drink the water of the Lethe to forget. To become someone else, perhaps who they always wanted to be."

She smiles up at me, not a wicked smile, but a soft one. She doesn't say anything…she just looks at me and takes one of her gentle hands and traces my face…every rip, every line, every inch. She slowly brings her fingers to my ruined lips and traces them as well. I sigh, feeling completely at ease for…maybe the first time in my life…

"What do you think about all the time? I mean…we don't talk very much, so…what's on your mind all time?" she asks me, her fingers still on my lips.

"A lot of things. I am constantly on guard as you know, so my mind is always assessing and analyzing. But then, there are times where I just remember," I reply, my rough voice going a bit soft as I think.

"Remember what?"

"Everything…my training, my employers, events I have lived to see, and sometimes…before…" I whisper, trailing off as my mind recalls my short childhood.

"Before?" she asks, her voice thoughtful.

"Yes, before the war, before my training, before everything, but it's not something I like to think about often," I reply, wondering how I find it so easy to speak with her.

"Wait…before the war?" She lays on her stomach, looking up at me as she props herself up with her elbows.

"Yes, I am from before the war, but my memories of those times are blurry. I do not know if it is because I was trained to forget, or if my young mind tried to erase it," I say, letting my mind wander to those memories.

Lethe is quiet for a while, but then my own curiosity gets to me, and questions I've always had arise. Her name still swims in my head as if I am missing something. As if I forgot it's importance… And then I remember.

"Are you the one from the vault?" I ask, hesitation in my voice. I feel her sit up, and I look over at her, she sits facing away from me. She lets out a small sigh.

"Yes, I am. I am Miss Vault 101," she replies, her voice sad and strained. My heart and mind jolt, making all the connections. She's known for her many great deeds, for her legacy. But something doesn't add up. If she is who she says she is…how is she this killer I have know for these past years. How is she so angry and ruthless.

I don't quite know how to react to her sadness, so I just grab her and pull her into my chest again and hug her like there's no tomorrow.

"Will you please not tell anyone?" I am shocked, not at what she's asking, but because she asked instead of ordered. And…it makes me feel free.

"Of course. No one will know. Only us," I reassure her, unsure where my ability to comfort is coming from. I've never comforted someone before…but it seems…as if I just know how…

"Thank you, Charon." Hearing her say my name makes me smile a bit.

"May I ask you a question though?, " ask, still hesitant.

"Yes."

"Why do you kill so much? I ask because you are known by your kind deeds, and yet…you are angry and ruthless." I say, and she sighs again.

"Because…they took my life from me. I spent my entire non-vault life trying to help everyone I could. Looking for my father. Following his footsteps. But then…they took him from me…I…finished his work. I started the purifier. I thought it'd make me feel complete, and somehow closer to him…but no matter what good things I did, he was gone, and this place took him from me. That's when I decided that I owe nothing to this place, to these people who say 'thanks' but are never there when you need them. Never there when you truly need a friend. So I disappeared. I changed how I looked, I changed how I acted. I left it all behind and took out all my anger in killing those who don't appreciate their life. Those who mock everything I fought my entire life for. But I know it will never make me happy…I just don't know what else to do. I don't know what to live for. I'm not truly the person you know. I want to help others…it's in my blood to do so…but there's no one left to help…nothing left to fight for…" Once she finishes, she hugs me back, still in my arms. I hadn't stopped hugging her. And I don't want to.

As I process her words, I hold her tighter. I knew of her deeds and goodness, but I never knew about her father...I never knew she fought through so much. And the fact that she can still stand strong is admirable.

"I'm sorry, Lethe. I didn't know. The man on GNR, Three Dog, he only spoke of the things you did, not the things you truly went through," I whisper to her as we lay in her bed.

And then so many things click inside of me. These emotions I have never allowed myself to feel are surging through me. She broke my cage, and now I'm a alive. I realize that I want to be here, with her, forever. I love this feeling I have inside. This…acceptance…and compassion she has shown me has connected something inside of me. I want to return her kindness…I want to repair the damage the world has done to her…or at least stand by her as I have for years now.

"But I am here now. You have freed me, and I will be here not just because of my contract, but because I want to be," I whisper, trying out this feeling I have inside of me. She looks up at me as her body continues to rest in mine.

"…really?" she asks with an innocence that breaks my now awoken heart.

"Yes, for good or for ill," I tell her, just as I did when she first bought my contract. She smiles up at me.

"Even if I kill everyone in the Capital Wasteland?"

"Yes." Her smile widens, and she nestles her face down into my chest once more.

"Now that it's us against the world…what will we do? There's no one left to fight," she says with a bit of a sad tone. I take a moment and think about where in this destroyed world help is still needed. And then I think of it.

"There's a place far out west called New Vegas. There seems to be a lot of tension there because of a war over the Hoover Dam. We could go there and offer our aid if you would like,' I tell her. I can feel her smile into my chest.

"Sounds perfect," she says with her beautiful, sultry voice, and we fall asleep as we hold each other.


End file.
